Free Happily Ever All-Star: A Secret Baby Romance by Sosie Frost Page A

“Celibate.”
    Were we really talking about this? I never once imagined Rory as anything but the innocent girl from back home. Now, here she was, worried about my desires. She wasn’t the first woman to obsess over my pleasure—just the most dangerous.
    I ran my tongue along my teeth, looking for that sharp pinch to drag me away from her sweet voice.
    “You aren’t a little virgin either,” I said.
    “No,” she laughed. “I’m a walking consequence.”
    And the real father was a fool for walking away. Well, I wasn’t the type to run. Not from a hard choice. Not from a commitment. And not from a friend.
    Rory bit her lip. “You know people will assume we’re together…together.”
    I glanced to her yet-flat tummy and savored every curve on the way down. “Hopefully, they’ll be jealous.”
    “I don’t want you to be miserable.”
    “That’s impossible with you.”
    “Because we’ll be together. A lot .”
    “That’s not such a bad thing.”
    Her eyes flashed, curious and bright. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
    More than ever, even if I did it for the wrong reasons. “You should move in with me.”
    “ Move in ?”
    “I suppose you’re gonna fight me on this too?”
    “You’re damned right. I can’t impose on you like that.”
    I expected it. Fortunately, I knew Rory. Practical, sensible Rory.
    “You should move in with me until the baby is born,” I said. “Hell, until you’re confident that you can handle being on your own.”
    “It’s one thing to steal my own drawer and plug my hair dryer into your bathroom outlet,” Rory said. “It’s another thing to plop a newborn into your living room.”
    “And I suppose a single-mother-to-be wouldn’t want to save money on six or seven months’ rent?”
    “…Rent free?”
    What sort of monster did she think I was? “Of course rent free. I’ll take care of everything—housing, groceries, utilities. All you need to do is move in and help me sell this relationship as something real. Plus…” I let the implication linger. “It wouldn’t hurt to have a live-in doctor to observe my general health, just to reassure her that I do belong on the field.”
    Rory nodded. “You help me, and I help you?”
    “That’s the plan.”
    “This is a bad plan.”
    “On the contrary.” I extended my hand. She shook on it. “I think I’m just what the doctor ordered.”

5
    Rory
    T oo bad a fake relationship didn’t come with imaginary luggage.
    I dropped my purse in Jude’s entryway.
    There. My handbag was moved. If only my furniture, books, clothes, and life could fit into the side pocket with the gum and iPhone.
    Fortunately, Jude had hired movers to help me make the transition. Not that I was bringing much with me. His penthouse had been pre-furnished—more suited for a king than a running back. Who knew apartments came in two stories. I’d have credited his taste, but I remembered Jude’s room from when we were kids. He was lucky he could find matching socks, let alone pick crown molding and decorate with cool, winter colors.
    Still, the penthouse was amazingly beautiful. I’d never ridden in a private elevator before, and I’d never tripped over marble steps. Giant windows spanned the entirety of the sitting rooms. And somewhere, tucked away, Jude mentioned a Jacuzzi tub. My butt would be glamorous .
    I closed the door behind me and turned to find Jude’s most unusual house guest.
    A dog.
    The dalmatian padded over to greet me, wagging his tail so hard I worried his spots would flick off and stain the pristine entryway.
    “Hello, puppy,” I said.
    The dog yipped his own pleasantry and offered a paw. I took it as it seemed only the polite thing to do. But it was a ploy.
    “Nice to meet you, fella—”
    The dog seized my purse between his teeth. He gave a playful growl and shook his head.
    “Oh, no. That’s not a toy.”
    I reached for my purse. Too slow. The dog twisted with a half-gaited jump and trotted away, merrily